Parliamentary honour for Marist Brother Ed Slattery
Remembering Mother M. Stanislaus RSM
Canon Law conference, 2010
Tassie tempters
The Catholic Religious Australia national assembly will be held in Hobart in the middle of the year, causing some leaders to be concerned about their winter wardrobes. Hobart has been basking in glorious autumn weather and I couldn't resist taking the camera on a short tour of the city. Enjoy! (Penny, editor)
The Grand Chancellor ... the venue
The River Derwent ... to the north (top) and towards the mouth
On the waterfront, Mount Wellington from the river, St David's Park and Salamanca
Sister Sandra Schneiders in Australia
Internationally recognised Scripture scholar and religious feminist Sister Sandra Schneiders IHM will be in Australia, April-June. Although pathways does not have her full program, known dates are: Saturday, April 17, Presentation College, Windsor (Melbourne) 10-3pm; Saturday, April 24, Catholic Diocesan Centre, New Town (Hobart); Saturday, June 12, All Hallows, Brisbane, 9am-1pm. The topic will be Ministerial Religious Life: Incarnating the Gospel in the World. Further details will be included in diary as they become known.
Among the countless number of events worldwide will be a Vigil of Light and Hope organised by Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC). It will be held at Observatory Hill, The Rocks, Sydney (next to Sydney Observatory) from 7.30-8.30pm.
Organisers say that as climate change escalates and action to address it lags far behind, new hope is needed. So as the lights go out across Sydney this Earth Hour, the vigil will aim to turn on the light of hope within people through a candle-lit, multi-faith vigil of song, prayer, dance, reflection and meditation. The evening will include: Tapestry of Sound (world music band), the Bahai Choir (20 member mixed choir), Deepa Gupta (Indian Youth Climate Network cofounder), Patricia Corowa (Pacific Calling Partnership's Copenhagen delegation) Trish Watts and Friends (InterPlay Australia) and Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins (Emanuel Synagogue).
Passion and possibility
A six-day retreat aimed at re-imagining the person and creation through a deepened recommitment to contemplative practice will be held on NSW's south coast in April. Passion and Possibility: Living Hopefully, to be conducted by Michael Dyer, will be held from Friday, April 9 - 15 at Stanwell Park (50km south of Sydney). The rhythm for each day will include meditation and morning ritual, spiritual conversations, solitude, silence, relaxation, contemplative practice, sifting circle and night ritual. The Wednesday will be a wilderness day during which retreatants will be able to creatively respond to their individual needs -- with the local coastline offering an abundance of possibilities.
further information/bookings: Michael Dyer of Chrysalis Consulting, dyerlog@tpg.com.au or 0409 654 065.
Parliamentary honour for Marist Brother Ed Slattery
Led by the Minister for Juvenile Justice, Graham West, (Campbelltown) the New South Wales State Legislative Assembly has paid tribute to Marist Brother Ed Slattery who devoted much of his life to being chaplain to Juvenile Justice where he worked with the State's "most vulnerable and difficult children".
Mr West said: "He was an inspiration to everyone with whom he came into contact - staff, young people and their families. His commitment to young people went above and beyond his duties as a chaplain. He would often accompany young people to court and act as a support and character referee for them ...
"Brother Ed became a chaplain when he retired from teaching at St Gregory's College in Campbelltown. He was well known in the local community as a strong advocate for young people.
"He had great compassion for young people and treated troubled young people in the care of Juvenile Justice with dignity and respect. He was also highly respected by staff and often helped with training programs at staff centres."

Mr West said that Brother Ed was held in such high regard that a unit was named after him at Reiby Juvenile Justice Centre—the Slattery unit.
Upon retirement from his chaplaincy, he went to work with Aboriginal people in Bourke and with the Torres Strait Islander community.
The Deputy Leader of the Nationals, Adrian Piccoli (Murrumbidgee) and the Speaker, Richard Torbay (Northern Tablelands) also paid their respects.
Members and officers of the House then stood as a mark of respect.
The Singleton Sisters of Mercy hosted a lovely afternoon to the memory of Mother Mary Stanislaus Kenny on the 100th anniversary of her death, Friday, March 12. Mother Mary Stanislaus led the band of 10 sisters who came to Singleton, NSW, from Ennis in Ireland.
Sr Mary Kleinschafer planned the event and, with help from Sr Val O'Hara, provided a moving prayer and ceremony. Sr Faith Jones, present Congregational Leader, led the ceremonies.
The processional walk from the community room in the convent to the sisters' cemetery brought memories of the many times they accompanied sisters on their final journey. The singing of the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, in Latin, at the grave site was full of reverence and nostalgia. In earlier years it was a custom that the litany was sung each Saturday afternoon in the chapel.
Research done by Sr Mary over more than four years, and recounted briefly during the event, gave participants new insights into the life and family of Mother Stanislaus and the early days of the convent in Singleton.
Can we imagine that from a community of only 26 members, 10 were sent to Australia? And the home community of Ennis, itself only established five years, had already sent out two foundations earlier.
Canon Law conference, 2010
Now that the date for the canonisation of Blessed Mary MacKillop has been set, Catholic Religious Australia and the Canon Law Society of Australia and New Zealand have confirmed the dates for the third year of the Canon Law for Leadership program. The course will be held at Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney, early in October -- from Tuesday, October 5, for new participants, and from Wednesday, October 6, for returning participants. It will finish at lunchtime on Saturday, November 9. Applications close on April 9. A guest at this year's course will be Sister Sharon Holland IHM who recently retired from a long-standing association with the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. The course is limited to 100 participants.
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